Material, pusher with modular composite scraping edge

ABSTRACT

An improved scraping edge for use on a plow blade employing at least one resilient scraping edge section for contact with a surface to be plowed and mounting holes to attach the scraping edge section to the plow blade.

This application is a Divisional application of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/214,593 for a MATERIAL PUSHER WITH MODULARCOMPOSITE SCRAPING EDGE, filed Dec. 10, 2018 by Michael J. Guggino etal., which claimed the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) from U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/597,136, for a MATERIAL PUSHERWITH FLOATING COUPLING AND MODULAR COMPOSITE SCRAPING EDGE, by MichaelJ. Guggino et al., filed Dec. 11, 2017, both of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

The embodiment disclosed herein relate generally to an improved materialpusher or containment plow, and more particularly to a material pusherincluding one or more of a floating coupling system, a sectioned ormodular, composite scraping edge, a front-pivoting adjustable angle wearshoe, and water-shedding features. The disclosed containment plow andfeatures are believed to provide equipment capable of improving thesurface outcome (e.g., single-pass, cleared to asphalt surface) ascompared to conventional plowing devices including other materialpushers.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

A “pusher” differs from a typical snow plow blade or bucket as mightgenerally be found on material moving equipment. Pushers, or containmentplows, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,755 to Weagley(issued Mar. 3, 1998) or the folding Material Plow of U.S. Pat. No.6,112,438, to Weagley et al. (issued Sep. 9, 2000), both assigned toPro-Tech Welding and Fabrication, Inc. and hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety, include sides extending forward from theblade or mold board to assure material being pushed (e.g., material,water, debris, sludge, etc.) is contained or remains in front of thepusher, and is not directed to the side in a windrow as withconventional plows. Whereas larger material pushers are designed for usewith loaders and other heavy-duty equipment for clearing parking lots,runways and roads, the technology is similarly applicable to smaller,lighter-weight pushers that may be attached to and driven by skid-steerloaders and agricultural and lawn/garden tractors having front or rearlifting capability (e.g., buckets). As will be appreciated the pushersare not only for snow removal, but for clearing of various types ofmaterial including debris, animal waste, etc.

Heretofore, a number of patents and publications have disclosed plowconfigurations, the relevant portions of which may be briefly summarizedas follows: (i) U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,755 to Weagley, issued Mar. 3, 1998,discloses a snow pusher having a transverse blade, side plates, wearshoes and horizontal posts for attaching the pusher to a bucket loader;(ii) U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,438, to Weagley et al., issued Sep. 9, 2000, isdirected to a foldable version of the snow pusher.

As noted above, conventional pushers or containment plows may be subjectto improper use when operators seek to clean or clear various types ofice and snow. For example, one pusher configuration that works forremoval of significant accumulations of light snow may not work wellwhen the operator attempts to use the same configuration to removepacked snow and ice. Moreover, operators have founds ways of operatingthe pushers to try and handle various conditions, and in many cases thesnow pusher, or the vehicle used to drive snow pusher, can be subjectedto excessive wear or damage. As an example, an operator may tend to runa pusher by applying extra (excessive) downward force by pushing thevehicle bucket, and the pusher, downward and to lift the front wheels ofthe loader off the ground. Such use tends to apply a greater downwardpressure on the pusher scraping edge, but also results in excessive wearand premature failure of the wear shoes on the sides of the pusher aswell as the rubber or polymeric (e.g., polyurethane) scraping edgeitself. Moreover, operating with the front wheels off the ground reducesthe ability to control the vehicle and the pusher, and often leads todamage to both the equipment and the surroundings (e.g., surface, curbs,landscaping, lighting poles, etc.). Another example is running thepusher with the front slightly elevated and the back of the wear shoethe only contact with the ground. Again, this is done in an attempt toapply more downward pressure on the pusher scraping edge in order toclear hard to remove ice, packed snow, etc.

In yet a further example, it is known to use metal scraping edges onplows and pushers—particularly for removal of packed snow and ice. Anexample of metal scraping edges are found, for example, on the SteelEdge line of snow pushers available from Pro-Tech® and as disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 8,621,769, to Weagley et al., issued Jan. 7, 2014, or U.S.Pat. No. 9,151,006, to Guggino et al., issued Oct. 6, 2015, thedisclosures of both patents being hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety. However, an astute observer will appreciate that the useof metal plow edges, even when employed on snow pushers with wear shoes,can result in damage to the inherently soft asphalt or similar materialsor to the plow components. Indeed, operators that use containment plowsor pushers to clear large areas such as parking lots, airports and thelike, often employ different pusher and scraping blade configurationsdepending upon the snow conditions. Thus, there remains a need for amaterial pusher that can easily be employed across a broader range ofsnow and ice conditions.

In seeking to address these concerns, the disclosed embodiments aredirected to features that result in improved performance of the materialpusher, without the need for an operator pushing the equipment to andbeyond its limits. Several features of the disclosed embodiments aredirected at improving both the contact of the scraping edge with thesurface being cleared, as well as consistently maintaining thatrelationship. The improvements to the scraping edge itself, along with apivoting wear shoe that can be employed to adjust to a plurality ofpositions, and are believed to not only improve its performance but toeliminate the need (other than when reversing a worn edge) foradjustments to the scraping edge.

As noted above, among snow and ice professionals there is an ongoingdiscussion about which is better, rubber edge or steel edge snowpushers. The removable scraping edge disclosed in several embodimentsherein provides the benefits of both. The rubber scraping edge with asteel insert can both conform to a surface to squeegee wet heavy snowand scrape hard pack. Instead of a long edge, the removable scrapingedge may be “packaged” in sections allowing for easy replacement if orwhen needed. The removable scraping edge is also built for longevity(e.g., 350-500 hours of heavy plowing use), before needing to bereplaced. Steel is embedded in both sides of the improved scraping edgesections, allowing customers to easily remove and flip the edgesections, and continue plowing if one side is worn. Furthermore, thecentral portion of each removable scraping edge section is flexible (nosteel in central portion), permitting the removable scraping edgesection to trip (flex) over obstacles such as manhole covers.

Another feature of the snow or material pusher embodiments disclosedherein is a floating coupler that allows the cutting edge to betteradapt or contour to the surface, giving the operator more control. Thefloating coupler not only moves up and down (vertical) but also sideways(horizontal) and oscillates or tilts. This additional movement allowsthe plow to freely float without obstruction, improving surface outcome.Moreover, the floating coupler has no pushing or stacking limitations.

For many standard snow pushers and containment snow plows, adjusting therubber plowing edge can sometimes be time consuming. The typicaladjustment process consists of loosening bolts and shifting a long pieceof rubber into an optimal position (usually ⅛″ to ¼″ below the wearshoe) and then retightening the bolts. While this process works for manysnow and ice management professionals, the use of adjustable wear shoessignificantly reduces the need for adjustment of the scraping edge,thereby significantly improving that process. Cutting or scraping edgedepth adjustment can now be accomplished at the wear shoes—where onlytwo adjustments need to be made, one on each end of the pusher. In oneof the embodiments disclosed in detail below, operators simply pull apin or a bolt on each wear shoe, find the optimal position based uponthe scraping edge wear and re-insert the pin or bolt to adjust not onlythe wear shoe angle, but the contact between the scraping edge and thesurface being cleaned. This design not only decreases maintenancerequirements but also allows the operator to set how aggressive theywant to plow, whether clearing snow from a gravel surface or trying toclear hard pack snow and ice. The adjustable wear shoe is also suitablefor use with extended or self-leveling wear shoes, which helps theoperator maintain a level plowing position at all times.

Disclosed in embodiments herein is a containment plow (material pusher)for clearing material from a surface, comprising: an upstandingtransverse blade with a front surface and a rear surface, said rearsurface of said blade being reinforced by at least one longitudinalchannel extending substantially the length of and in parallel with saidblade; vertical side plates attached to and extending at least forwardfrom vertical edge at the end of said transverse blade; a floatingcoupler affixed to the rear of said blade, said floating couplerproviding an interface by which the containment plow may be attached toa vehicle, where said floating coupler permits relative movement betweenthe vehicle and the containment; a plurality of removable scraping edgesections, positioned adjacent one another along a bottom edge of saidblade, at least one of said scraping edge sections presenting aplurality of faces for contact with the surface; and an adjustable wearshoe freely pivotally attached adjacent a front edge of the verticalside plates.

Further disclosed in embodiments herein is a floating coupler for use ona containment plow, said coupler comprising: a plurality of ribsextending rearward from said containment plow, each of said ribs havingat least two apertures therein, a pair of longitudinal members slidablylocated within the apertures of said ribs and attached at either end toa spacer, said spacers separating the longitudinal members yet allowingfor the longitudinal members to slide in at least two directions(vertical and horizontal) relative to the containment plow; said couplerbeing affixed to the rear of the containment plow and providing aninterface by which the containment plow may be attached to a vehicle,where said floating coupler permits relative movement between thevehicle and the containment plow.

Also disclosed herein is a removable scraping edge section for use on acontainment plow, comprising: a resilient scraping edge sectionpresenting a plurality of faces for contact with the surface to beplowed.

Further disclosed in embodiments herein is an adjustable wear shoefreely pivotally attached adjacent a front edge of a vertical side plateon a containment plow, comprising: am angular control mechanism wherethe angular orientation of the wear shoe relative to the side plate isadjustable to one of a plurality of fixed positions (in order to controlthe amount of contact between a scraping edge of the plow and a surfacebeing cleared).

Also disclosed herein is a containment plow (material pusher), whereinat least one longitudinal channel contacts the rear surface of the bladeat a downward-sloping angle when the containment plow is in a positionsuitable for use on a horizontal surface, whereby the downward-slopingangle facilitates the shedding of liquid (e.g., water) therefrom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-2 are exemplary illustrations of an embodiment and features ofan improved material pusher or containment plow, incorporating afloating coupler, adjustable front-pivoting wear shoes, and awear-resistant scraping edge;

FIGS. 3-5 and 8 are exemplary illustrations of an alternative embodimentof the material pusher of FIG. 1 , wherein the modified floating coupleremploys off-set longitudinal members;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are exemplary illustrations of a front and frontperspective view of a material pusher in accordance with the embodimentsof FIGS. 1-5 ;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of an optional pre-assembly feature of thematerial pusher embodiments of FIGS. 1-8 ;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary illustration of a material pusher as in theembodiments of FIGS. 1-9 coupled to a vehicle in accordance with oneembodiment for use of such a pusher;

FIG. 11 is a view of the rear of the improved material pusher orcontainment plow in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1 ;

FIGS. 12-26 are illustrations of various embodiments of a scraping edgefor use with a material pusher, such as depicted in the embodiments ofFIGS. 1-8 and 10 , particularly representing alternative components andcross-sections thereof, suitable for use with the material pushers ofFIGS. 1-11 ; and

FIGS. 27-30 are detailed illustrations of alternative adjustable wearshoe configurations for use with an exemplary material pusher such asshown in FIGS. 1-8 and 10 .

The various embodiments described herein are not intended to limit thedisclosure to those embodiments described. On the contrary, the intentis to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may beincluded within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments andequivalents set forth. For a general understanding, reference is made tothe drawings. In the drawings, like references have been used throughoutto designate identical or similar elements. It is also noted that thedrawings may not have been drawn to scale and that certain regions mayhave been purposely drawn disproportionately so that the features andaspects could be properly depicted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-11 , depicted in these figures are variousrepresentations of embodiments for an improved containment plow 100, orsynonymously a material pusher. In the figures, containment plow ormaterial pusher 100, which may be employed for clearing material from asurface 110, comprises an upstanding transverse blade 114 with a frontsurface 116 and a rear surface 118, the rear surface of blade 114 beingreinforced by at least one longitudinal channel 120 extendingsubstantially the length of and in parallel with a longitudinal axis ofthe blade. Vertical side plates 130 are attached by welding, or similarpermanent affixing method, to and extending at least forward from avertical edge 122 at the end of said transverse blade. As will beappreciated, in the depicted embodiments at least the lowermost portionof side plates 130 extend rearward beyond the back of the blade 114 aswell.

A floating coupler system 140 is affixed to the rear 118 of blade 114,the floating coupler providing an interface by which the containmentplow 100 may be attached to a vehicle 102 (e.g., see FIG. 10 ) where,for example, the bucket of loader 102 is inserted and retained withinslot 152 in interface component 154. The floating coupler system permitsrelative movement between the vehicle and the containment plow. Althoughthe embodiments depicted in the figures do not depict any particularbiasing elements tending to return the coupling to a neutral or “home”position (e.g., springs, rubber blocks or the like), such elements maybe employed in an alternative embodiment.

In the embodiments depicted, the coupler system 140 includes a pluralityof ribs 142 extending rearward from the back 118 of the transverse blade114. Each of the ribs has at least two apertures 144 therein. A pair oflongitudinal members 146 is slidably located within the apertures andthe longitudinal members include threaded holes to receive fasteners 148on the ends and are attached at both ends to spacers 150. Longitudinalmembers 146 may have round, rectangular or square cross-sections.Spacers 150 separate the longitudinal members 146 yet allow for thelongitudinal members to slide a small distance in at least twodirections, vertically and horizontally, relative to the transverseblade. Each of the apertures 144 further include a wide liner 145 (e.g.,2 in.-4 in. (5 cm-10 cm)) welded within and about the inner edge of theapertures so as to distribute contact force between the ribs (blade) andthe longitudinal members 146 (vehicle) over a greater surface area andthereby facilitate sliding and reducing the likelihood of damage to thecoupler components during use.

At least one attachment mechanism or interface component 154 is attachedto the longitudinal members and provides an interface for releasableattachment to the vehicle or a component thereof to the coupler system.In this manner the vehicle is able to drive the material pusher via thecoupling system 140, but there is a range of relative motion between thevehicle and the pusher so that the pusher “floats” and is able toself-adjust to the surface being plowed. The range of motion permittedis defined by the vertical distance of height of the apertures 144, andthe horizontal distance or length of the longitudinal members 146relative to the distance between the outermost edges of the ribs 142. Arange of motion of between 2-6 inches is believed to be suitable toachieve the performance desired while not negatively impacting anoperator's ability to control the pusher. This floating coupler systemis believed to provide a degree of adaptability that has not beenpreviously found in material pushers.

Another feature of the material pusher depicted in the figures is theuse of a plurality of removable scraping edge sections 210. Asillustrated, for example in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the edge sections 210 arepositioned and mounted, using removable fasteners that are insertedthrough or into mounting holes in proximity to the blade bottom edge,adjacent one another on the front surface 116 along a bottom edge ofblade 114. Furthermore, at least one of the scraping edge sections mayinclude a plurality of faces for contact with the surface to be cleanedor scraped. The use of multiple surfaces assures that even when thebottom of the scraping edge may be flexed or folded backward, as theplow is moved forward over a surface, the scraping edge will present atleast one acute-angle edge to scrape packed snow, ice or similarmaterials from the surface. Various alternative configurations andprofiles for the scraping edges are illustrated in FIGS. 12 through 26as more specifically described below.

In one embodiment, the scraping edge section 210 is flexible in at leastone direction, so that it may adapt to the surface that is beingscraped. Moreover, at least a front-facing exterior of the scraping edgesections, in the top and bottom regions, 214 and 216, respectivelyincludes a face forming an acute angle with an adjacent face. As notedabove, this assures that there is a “sharp” edge 230 available forcontact with the surface even if the bottom-most portion of the scrapingedge is flexed or folded rearward. And, in one embodiment the flexiblescraping edge section 210 is reversible, so that once a bottom regionhas been word down, the section may be rotated so the top region is onthe bottom and the edge is re-attached to the blade. To facilitate easeof installation and rotation of the scraping edge sections, each edgesection includes a plurality of mounting holes 226 spaced 6 in.-10 in.(15 cm-25 cm) apart along a mid-line or a mid-section thereof, where theholes are used to retain the scraping edge section 210 in a generallyfixed position relative to the bottom edge of the transverse blade 114.As will be appreciated, several of the scraping edge cross-sections alsoinclude middle region 218 along a longitudinal face thereof, which isrecessed relative to the top and bottom sections for receipt of abacking plate. The use of a recessed region on the face of each sectionis believed to be advantageous to prevent the edge sections from slidingor creeping upward on the front face 116 of blade 114. Moreover, thebacking plate 220 may or may not span multiple adjacent edge sections toassure alignment of the adjacent sections.

In another alternative embodiment, scraping edge sections 210 may alsoinclude a wear resistant material, such as a wear-resistant insert 240as depicted in FIG. 15 . And, as illustrated, for example in FIGS. 14-22, the scraping edge section has a generally H-shaped cross-section(e.g., FIG. 14 ), where the upper and lower edges thereof include awear-resistant material inserted or infused longitudinally therein. Asused herein the term “wear-resistant” is intended to characterize amaterial that has a hardness greater than that of the balance of thescraping-edge section, such that the wear-resistant material exhibitsless propensity to wear in comparison to the rubber or polymer materialsused for forming the balance of the flexible scraping edge. It will beappreciated that various wear-resistant materials may be employed,including high-durability polymers, metals (e.g., steel) and ceramics,as well as composites and combinations thereof. Ideally thewear-resistant material, when combined with the flexibility of thescraping edge, provides suitable stiffness and wear-resistance toimprove the life of the scraping edge, while the scraping edge sectionitself provides flexibility so that the edge does not damage orexcessively wear the surface being plowed. It should also be noted thatthe flexible rubber or polymeric materials are frequently referred to inthe industry, and likewise herein, simply as “rubber” without regard tothe particular type of material or composite employed.

Next, referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 27-30 , the material pusher 100 alsoincludes an adjustable wear shoe 310 that is freely pivotally attachedby a pin 320 adjacent a front edge of the vertical side plates 130. Theangular orientation of each wear shoe 310 relative to a respective sideplate 130 is adjustable to one of a plurality of fixed positions tocontrol the amount of contact between the scraping edge sections and thesurface. In one embodiment, each side plate includes a bolt-on pin plate330, attached to the outer surface of side plate 130 adjacent the loweredge thereof, where the pin plate includes at least pivot pin 320aligned to pass through a corresponding aperture in the wear shoe 310.The pin plate, as more fully illustrated in FIGS. 27-30 , for example,includes a plurality of arranged holes 332 and the wear shoe 310 alsoincludes a plurality of differently-arranged apertures 312 so that afastener passing through different combinations of arranged holes anddifferently-arranged apertures permits the adjustment of the angularorientation of the wear shoe relative to the side plate. Morespecifically, the wear shoe can be adjusted to a desired position andthen fixed at that position—permitting the operator to “select” theamount of interference desired between the scraping edge sections andthe surfaces being plowed.

Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 30 , a cam 360 may be employed toadjust the relative angle of the wear shoe, where a cam-shaped slot 362having a continuously-varying surface separated from a pivot at 364, isused and aligned with an aperture in a rearward portion of the wear shoe310, and then fastened thereto. When a configuration as depicted in FIG.30 is employed, an essentially continuously-varying adjustment of thewear shoe orientation relative to the side plate may be achieved.

Referring once again to FIG. 9 , the upstanding transverse blade of thecontainment plow (material pusher) may also incorporate, duringmanufacturing/assembly, an assembly pin 108 extending outward beyond thevertical edge 122 on one or both ends of the transverse blade 112.Furthermore, each vertical side plate 130 includes a pin-receivingaperture or hole 132 for receiving the pin 108 therein and permitting aconsistent positioning of the side plate relative to the transverseblade edge to facilitate assembly of the containment plow. The pin maylater be welded and/or ground to remove any appearance of the hole andpin in sideplate 130.

Having generally described the material pusher 100, attention is turnedto a description of the components and features of the floating couplersystem as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, 8 and 11 . As noted above, thefloating coupler system may be employed on a containment plow, and inone embodiment the coupler includes a plurality of ribs 142 extendingrearward from the containment plow, each of the ribs having at least twoapertures 144 therein, a pair of longitudinal members 146 slidablylocated within the apertures of said ribs and attached at either end toa vertical spacer 150.

The spacer 150, attached at either end of the longitudinal members,separates the longitudinal members, and because the longitudinal members146 are slightly longer than the distance between the outermost ribs142, the longitudinal members can slide horizontally in the apertures144, until the spacers 150 contact a respective outermost rib. Thus, thelongitudinal members are allowed to slide in the both horizontal andvertical directions (e.g., arrows 170 in FIG. 11 ) and thereby allow thematerial pusher to “float” or move slightly relative to the vehicleattached the attachment mechanisms or interface components 154. The pairof longitudinal members are parallel to one another so as to permit themto freely slide yet maintain contact with the web apertures. And, asdepicted for example in FIG. 3 , they may also be vertically andhorizontally offset from one another. Another advantage realized throughthe use of assembled components for the floating coupler is that inaddition to the “float” it provides between the prime mover vehicle 102and the material pusher, the floating coupler also may bechanged/repaired in the event of a damaging impact. The longitudinalmembers 146 may be unbolted from the side spacers 150 and a damagedcoupling system component easily replaced in the field so as to avoidthe need to transport the material pusher for repair or to await awelder.

The floating coupler system 140 includes at least one attachmentmechanism or interface 154 attached to the longitudinal members andproviding an interface for releasable attachment to the vehicle or acomponent thereof. In one of the illustrated embodiments, the attachmentmechanisms may include a pair of parallel posts extending rearward fromthe pusher and coupler system. Such a system provides a slot 152 toreceive a bucket edge from a loader or backhoe vehicle. Alternatively,as is also illustrated, the attachment mechanisms may include a pair ofcomponents that are designed to receive a quick-coupler or similardevice attached on a vehicle (e.g., a skid steer loader). As will beappreciated, the “frame” of the floating coupler system, andparticularly the longitudinal members 146, provide a structure to whichany number of alternative attachment mechanisms may be connected orclamped, including the embodiments shown as well as bucket clamps andcustom connections for a wide variety of prime mover vehicles. In theillustrated embodiments for the attachment mechanisms, vehicleattachment components are attached to the pair of longitudinal membersusing a removable, clamp-type connection as illustrated in detail inFIGS. 8 and 11 , where a generally C-shaped clamp section fits aroundthe longitudinal members and is compressed thereabout by one or morebolts 156. Another advantage of the clamp-on type attachment mechanismsis the ability to employ multiple mechanisms on a single coupler (plow),and to easily change attachment mechanisms by simply removing a fewbolts used to clamp the attachment mechanisms to the longitudinalmembers—no welding or modification is required. While depicted asclamp-on devices, it is also possible to employ alternative and even amore permanent attachment method, and the attachment mechanisms orinterfaces could be attached directly to the longitudinal members usingbolts, welded, or otherwise permanently attached to the longitudinalmembers 146, or perhaps to the spacers 150 so as to be separable fromthe longitudinal members.

The longitudinal members 146 may be of any suitable cross-section (e.g.square or round as illustrated in FIG. 25 ) so long as the memberslidably contacts the inner surface(s) of apertures 144. Moreover, theinner surfaces 145 of the apertures 144 may be constructed from athickened or other wear-resistant steel or similar material to providefor longevity as the apertures are not replaceable like the longitudinalmembers are. Of note is the use of a “window” 160 in the side plate thatallows a longitudinal member to pass through the window for installationwithin the lower apertures in webs 142. The window 160 also allows forthe longitudinal member to be removed or replaced in the event it isdamaged in use.

In an alternative embodiment, the floating coupler system 140 mayinclude one or more resilient members or components that apply a biasingforce that tends to reposition the floating coupler to a central or homeposition relative to the range of travel possible in the vertical andhorizontal directions. Components such as urethane bumpers (e.g., withinapertures 144 or on the inner surfaces of spacers 150), coil springs,leaf springs and the like may be employed for applying a biasing forcebetween the movable components of the coupler system and the stationaryparts or the material pusher itself.

Referring next to FIGS. 12-26 , depicted therein are various embodimentsdirected to removable scraping edge sections 210 for use on acontainment plow. It should be understood that one or a combination ofthe depicted scraping edge section embodiments may be employed on amaterial pusher such as that described above or on similarly-configuredor pre-existing pusher designs—whether produced by Pro-Tech or anothermanufacturer.

In the disclosed embodiments there are multiple-component scraping edgesthat may employ both a wear-resistant material such as a hardened-steelcomponent molded into or infused within a flexible (rubber orpolyurethane) component. The various components may be attached to oneanother using threaded bolts and nuts as well as other types offasteners and anchors. As will be appreciated, slots, cuts and the likemade in the flexible scraping edge backing material (e.g., rubber) areintended to provide relief and independent flexibility for portions ofthe scraping edge so that the component sections might independentlyconform or adapt to the surface being plowed. Depicted, for example, inFIGS. 12-13 are scraping edge section configurations where the resilientedge is able to present a plurality of faces that can be in contact withthe surface, thereby assuring contact and continuity of contact betweenthe edge and the surface. And, as illustrated in FIG. 15 , the scrapingedge section embodiments 210 may also include a wear-resistant materialinserted longitudinally within the bottom of the scraping edge.

Turning to FIGS. 12-13 , there are depicted scraping edge cross-sectionsin a general “dog-bone” shape, where at least two faces of the edge arepresented to contact the surface being plowed. In the dog-boneconfiguration, the upper and lower regions of the scraping edge sections210 each have a generally Y-shaped cross-section, and as shown in FIG.13 , the length of one of the legs 250 is longer than the other in orderto provide two surface for plowing when the edge is attached to thebottom of the plow blade that is curved or angled forward.

Referring next to FIGS. 14-22 there are depicted various configurationsof an “H-shaped” cross-section scraping edge section 210. In theillustrated embodiments for the H-shaped scraping edge, the scrapingedge section 210 is formed of a rubber or polymer material such as anatural rubber compound including a polymer, carbon black, oil and asulfur-based curing system, with a Shore A Durometer range of 55 to 80,and is flexible in at least one direction, so that it may bend or adaptto the surface being scraped. At least the front-facing exterior of thescraping edge sections in top region 214 and bottom region 216 there isa face with multiple angled surfaces, so that each face forms an acuteangle with an adjacent face. The use of the acute-angle (approx. 80-85°)faces or “ribs” assures that there is a “sharp” edge 230 available forcontact with the surface even if the bottom-most portion of the scrapingedge is flexed, folded rearward or simply worn away. Another feature ofthe “ribs” or other longitudinal features on the face of the scrapingedge sections is that they provide a wear indication, and in oneembodiment they may correspond to a related adjustment setting, so thatwhen wear to a certain point is evident the operator knows it is time toadjust the wear shoe angle to the next setting (i.e., reduce the anglebetween the wear shoe and the side plate, or lowering the blade edgetoward the ground surface).

The H-shaped flexible scraping edge section 210 is intended to bereversible, so that once bottom region 216 has been word down, the edgesection may be rotated 180-degrees so the top region 214 is then on thebottom when the edge section is re-attached to the blade. Each H-shapededge section includes mounting holes 226 spaced along a mid-line thereofin the mid-section 218 of the scraping edge. Contrary to prior flexiblescraping edge designs, there are no slotted holes that allow foradjustment of the vertical position of the scraping edge. In combinationwith the front-pivot, adjustable-angle wear shoes the edge does not haveto be adjustable as any adjustments to assure contact between thescraping edge sections and the surface are accomplished by adjusting thewear shoe angle (i.e. position of the bottom edge of blade 114). Holes226 are used to retain the scraping edge sections 210 in a generallyfixed position relative to the bottom edge of the transverse blade 114.As will be appreciated, some of the H-shaped scraping edgecross-sections also include a recessed middle region 218 along alongitudinal face thereof for receipt of a backing plate. The use of arecessed region on the face of a section is advantageous to prevent theedge sections from sliding or creeping upward on the front face 116 ofblade 114. Moreover, backing plate 220 may span a single edge section,or multiple adjacent edge sections to assure alignment of the adjacentsections.

In the H-shaped scraping edge embodiments, scraping edge sections 210may or may not include a wear resistant material, such as awear-resistant insert 240 as depicted in FIG. 19 for example. And, asillustrated, for in FIGS. 14-22 , the upper and lower edges thereofinclude a wear-resistant material inserted or infused longitudinallytherein. Various wear-resistant materials may be employed for insert 240(also see FIGS. 24-26 for further views of the insert), includinghigh-durability polymers, metals (e.g., steels) and ceramics, as well ascomposites and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the length ofthe steel insert is equal to or slightly shorter than the length of thescraping edge section, and has a height of 1.5 in. to 3.0 in. (3.8cm-7.6 cm) and preferably approximately 2.0 in. (5 cm), with a thicknessapproximating the widths of the slot in the H-shaped cross-section. Inone embodiment the thickness may be between 0.125 in. and 0.5 in.(0.3-1.3 cm), or 0.25 in and 0.375 in. (0.6 cm-0.95 cm), and perhaps0.25 in. (0.64 cm). Ideally the wear-resistant insert, when operativelyaffixed within and combined with the flexibility of the scraping edge,provides suitable stiffness and wear-resistance to improve the life ofthe scraping edge, while the scraping edge section itself providesflexibility so that the edge does not damage or excessively wear thesurface being plowed. As another alternative embodiment, while theH-shaped cross-section embodiment illustrates the insert approximatelycentered in the thickness of the edge section, alternativeconfigurations are contemplated, including moving the insert toward thefront-most (e.g., ribbed surface), or even angling the insert slightly(e.g., bottom-forward) in order to decrease the break-in time andprovide for the insert material to be exposed more quickly.

In one embodiment, insert 240 is molded into and part of the scrapingedge section in order to assure that it is retained in position duringuse. Moreover, in the case of a metal insert that may be subject tocorrosion, the insert may be “overmolded” so as to be entirelyencompassed or encased within the flexible rubber or polymeric materialin order to provide protection from exposure and resulting corrosionduring storage or even use (e.g, the upper, unused portion). In oneembodiment, at least approximately 0.125 in. (0.3175 cm) of rubbermaterial covers the insert 240. The steel used is surface treated toassure adherence to the flexible edge material, and a low hardness(e.g., Brinnel range of 75 to 450) material is employed for the insertin one embodiment. While a high-hardness or hardened material may beemployed, the result may be increased damage or wear to the surfacebeing plowed. Thus, non-hardened steels may be advantageous as theycould provide some conformity.

It will be appreciated that the scraping edge sections 210 may take onvarious alternative profiles and cross-sections. In one example the edgesection may be a non-reversible edge including only mid-region 218 andlower region 216, yet still provide extended life as the result of anelongated scraping region. Other alternative embodiments may include anextended edge region with the intended outcome of a longer life andimproved scraping performance, an angled mounting surface to alter theattack angle of the surface contact (bottom) edge when mounted on ablade, or an added leg or extension so that once the lower leg is wornthe scraping edge remains usable because the second (upper) leg would bein contact with the surface being plowed. It will also be appreciatedthat a C-shaped scraping edge cross-section could be used, where theupper (214) and lower (216) regions of the reversible scraping edge areadapted to extend forward or outward from the lower blade edge at aforward-biased angle to increase the angle of attack of the contactedge. Also contemplated is a layered configuration where a flexible,albeit harder (wear-resistant) middle layer is employed in order toreinforce and improve the wear performance of the scraping edge section210.

FIG. 23 represents an embodiment with a combination scraping edgesection design that includes a reinforced contact edge 260 (thicker andwith a hardened metal or similar face 262), along with surfacecontacting rear faces 264 (angled and rounded) as well asstress-relieving “cuts” 266 that facilitate the edge 210 being able tobe deformed or pushed rearward upon contact with a surface imperfection,curb, etc. As will be appreciated the embodiments for the combinationedge section of these figures is also reversible, but in doing so theedge section would not only be rotated by 180-degrees, but flippedfront-for-back.

In summary, the various disclosed scraping edge section embodimentsprovide various configurations for a resilient scraping edge sectionthat is suitable for presenting a plurality of faces for contact with asurface to be plowed. The scraping edge section is flexible in at leastone direction, and in several of the disclosed embodiments at least oneface of the scraping edge section forms an acute angle with an adjacentface. Moreover, a number of the embodiments disclose a flexible scrapingedge section that is both replaceable and even reversible (top tobottom). While depicted in embodiments where the scraping edge sectionincludes a plurality of mounting holes spaced along a line in themid-section or top thereof—the holes being used to affix and retain thescraping edge section in a generally fixed position relative to a bottomedge of the transverse blade 114—it will be appreciated that thescraping edge configuration is not necessarily limited by the mountingtechnique, and that other methods may be applicable. Indeed, several ofthe disclosed scraping edge sections further include a recessed regionalong a face of the section to receive a backing plate. The backingplate may span a single edge section, or multiple adjacent edgesections.

In several of the disclosed scraping edge embodiments the sectionincludes a wear resistant material. And, in some the material includes awear-resistant insert. The insert may be infused or sandwiched betweento faces or legs of the edge section, such as was described andillustrated for the H-shaped scraping edge sections. And another featureof several scraping edge section embodiments is a ribbed or angled-facedesign, where one of more adjacent surfaces on the scraping edge sectionform an acute angle between them in order to provide for a plurality ofscraping faces, particularly when the scraping edge is flexed or worn.

It is known to employ pivoting wear shoes such as those discussed inU.S. Pat. No. 9,243,376 (Jan. 26, 2016) to Pro-Tech, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. However, in the embodimentdisclosed herein it is the combination of an adjustable position—meaningfixed while in use but adjustable between uses—in conjunction with oneor more of the scraping edge sections embodiments disclosed above. Incombination the two components improve the performance of the materialpusher, particularly in varying snow and ice conditions.

The adjustable wear shoe 310, further depicted for example in FIGS.27-30 , is freely pivotally attached by a pin 320 adjacent a front edgeof the vertical side plate 130. The angular orientation of each wearshoe 310 relative to the respective side plate 130 is adjustable to oneof a plurality of fixed positions to control, among other things, theamount of contact between the scraping edge sections 210 and the surface110. The angle may be generally adjustable over a range of approximatelyzero to fifteen degrees, for example, from say minus five-degrees (−5°)to plus 10-degrees (+10°), or alternatively zero-degrees (0°) toten-degrees (+10°), where the angular range may also be a function ofthe containment plow design (e.g., height and adjustability of thescraping edge).

In one embodiment, each side plate 130 includes a bolt-on pin plate 330,attached to the outer surface of side plate at a location adjacent thelower edge of the side plate. Notably, in an alternative embodiment itmay be possible to provide the features described relative to the pinplate directly as part of the vertical side plate 130 instead of as abolt-on pin plate 330. The pin plate 330 includes at least front pivotpin 320 aligned to pass through a corresponding aperture in the wearshoe 310. The pin plate 330, for example, includes a plurality ofarranged holes 332 and the wear shoe 310 also includes a plurality ofdifferently-arranged apertures 312 so that a fastener passing throughdifferent combinations of arranged holes and differently-arrangedapertures permits the adjustment of the angular orientation of the wearshoe relative to the side plate. More specifically, the wear shoe can beadjusted to a desired position and then fixed at thatposition—permitting the operator to “select” the amount of interferencedesired between the scraping edge sections and the surfaces beingplowed. Additionally, the wear shoe assembly may include other pins 350,which extend from the pin plate 330, and which pass through slottedapertures 358 in the wear shoes. The pins 350 are terminated with acollar 354 or similar mechanism to assure that the wear shoe, whilepivotally sliding relative to side plate 130 and pin plate 330, is bothlimited in its travel and held on to the pins

FIG. 30 illustrates, as noted above, the alternative embodiment where acam 360 is used to adjust the relative angle of the wear shoe. Thecam-shaped slot 362 has a continuously-varying separation from a pivotpoint at 364, and the cam slot is used and aligned with an aperture in arearward portion of the wear shoe 310, and then fastened when thedesired wear shoe angle (contact between the scraping edge and surface)is found. When a configuration as depicted in FIG. 30 is employed, anessentially continuously-varying adjustment of the wear shoe orientationrelative to the side plate may be achieved.

Lastly, as represented by the illustration of FIG. 11 , the disclosedmaterial pusher intentionally reduces or eliminates liquid-collectingsurfaces by assuring that surfaces of the pusher are angled to shedwater. For example, at least one longitudinal channel 120 contacts therear surface 118 of the blade at surface 300 at a downward-sloping anglewhen the containment plow is in a position suitable for use on ahorizontal surface. The downward-sloping or angled surface 300facilitates the shedding of liquid (e.g., water) therefrom.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to theembodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in theart. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present disclosure and without diminishingits intended advantages. It is therefore anticipated that all suchchanges and modifications be covered by the instant application.

What is claimed is:
 1. A removable scraping edge for use on acontainment plow for plowing a surface, comprising: a resilient scrapingedge section, said scraping edge section including, on a front facethereof, a plurality of ribs, each of said ribs terminating in an edgefor contact with the surface and said scraping edge section furtherincluding mounting holes to facilitate attachment to the containmentplow.
 2. The removable scraping edge section of claim 1, where thescraping edge section is flexible in at least one direction.
 3. Theremovable scraping edge section of claim 1, where at least a firstsurface of the scraping edge section rib forms an acute angle with asecond adjacent rib surface.
 4. The removable scraping edge section ofclaim 1, where the flexible scraping edge section includes opposedscraping edges along both of two longitudinal sides, and is reversible.5. The removable scraping edge section of claim 1, where the scrapingedge section includes a recessed region along a longitudinal facethereof for receipt of a backing plate.
 6. The removable scraping edgesection of claim 5, where the backing plate spans at least one adjacentedge section.
 7. The removable scraping edge section of claim 1, wherethe scraping edge section includes a wear resistant material.
 8. Theremovable scraping edge section of claim 1, where each scraping edgesection includes a wear-resistant insert.
 9. The removable scraping edgesection of claim 8, where said scraping edge section has an H-shapedcross-section, and where upper and lower edges of said scraping edgesection include a wear-resistant material inserted longitudinallytherein.
 10. The removable scraping edge section of claim 9, where thewear-resistant material includes steel.
 11. The removable scraping edgesection of claim 1, wherein each scraping edge section has a dog-boneshaped cross-section.
 12. The removable scraping edge section of claim1, wherein said ribs include a plurality of acutely angled ridgesparallel to the scraping edge.
 13. A reversible, removable scraping edgefor use on a containment plow for plowing a surface, comprising: areversible resilient scraping edge section including a flexible materialhaving a mid-section between opposed parallel scraping edges; and aninsert made of a wear-resistant material operatively affixed along botheach of the opposed parallel scraping edges.
 14. A removable scrapingedge for attachment along a bottom edge of a plow blade used for plowinga surface, comprising: at least one resilient scraping edge section,where said scraping edge section includes a continuous wear-resistantinsert along a longitudinal edge of the scraping edge section; and saidscraping edge section further including mounting holes to facilitateattachment to the bottom edge of the plow blade.
 15. The removablescraping edge according to claim 14, where said flexible scraping edgesection includes opposed scraping edges along both of two longitudinalsides each including a continuous wear-resistant insert, such that theflexible scraping edge section is reversible.
 16. The removable scrapingedge according to claim 14, where said flexible scraping edge sectionhas an H-shaped cross-section, and where both an upper edge and a loweredge of said scraping edge section each include a continuouswear-resistant insert longitudinally therein.
 17. The removable scrapingedge according to claim 14, where the wear-resistant insert includessteel.
 18. The removable scraping edge according to claim 14, where thewear-resistant insert exhibits a Brinnel hardness of between 75 and 450.19. The removable scraping edge according to claim 14, where saidflexible scraping edge section includes a flexible rubber or polymericmaterial, and the wear-resistant insert is encased within the flexiblerubber or polymeric material to protect the wear-resistant insert fromexposure.